This Sunday is May 4, which has become known in the nerdiverse as "Star
Wars" Day ("May the 4th be with you"; get it?). So it's only
appropriate to offer a roundup of recent "Star Wars" news -- and, brother, has
there been a lot of it lately, starting with director J.J. Abrams' reveal on Tuesday
of his
cast for the forthcoming "Episode VII." But that's by no means all that's
out there. Below, find a collection of "Star Wars" headlines from around the
web, just to help you get into the mood. And May the Fourth be with you ...

Twitter: "Star Wars"
actor Mark Hamill gives "Episode VII" script a vote of confidence. "Star
Wars" fans were understandably stoked this week upon finally learning who will
be starring in director J.J. Abrams' upcoming new installment in the space saga.
Now, even better news: According to actor Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke
Skywalker in the original trilogy and who will also have a role in Abrams'
film, the new chapter is shaping up to be more fun than bull's-eyeing womp rats
in your T-16 back home. After the first table read of the script on Tuesday in
England, Hamill took to his Twitter account to share his optimism. "I was
knocked out by the diverse & extraordinarily talented new cast members," Hamill wrote
on Thursday. "WOW they're good! The saga is in superb hands."

NoMacheteJuggling.com: Introducing
the "Machete order" as a new way of watching the "Star War" films. The
easiest way to celebrate "Star Wars" Day, of course, is to rewatch all the
films in the series. But as even a run-of-the-mill nerf-herder can tell you,
that comes with its problems. Namely, "Episode I." So blogger Rod Hilton
invented the "Machete order" -- discussed in the "Big Bang Theory" episode
mentioned above -- in which you start your marathon by watching "Episode IV"
and "V," then watch "Episode II" and "III" as flashbacks, and end with "Episode
VI." And as for "Episode I"? Throw it in the nearest sarlacc pit. For those who
want to know the reasoning behind it, Hilton lays it out in detail in his
original 2012 post, linked above.

StarWars.com: Disney
and Lucasfilm roll out the first of six planned apps based on Episodes I to VI.
Want to relive the pod-race scene from "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom
Menace"? Turns out, now there's an app for that. Lucasfilm and parent company
Disney have unveiled the first of what will be six "Star Wars" iPhone apps
based on Episodes I to VI in the space saga. The first to hit stores: one based
on "Phantom Menace," which is now available and -- like the remaining apps to
be rolled out in the next few months -- aimed at ages 6 to 8. "The
'Star Wars' film franchise has continuously excited and engaged audiences of
all ages for more than 30 years," Disney Publishing Worldwide exec Andrew
Sugarman said
in a statement. "We are thrilled to help introduce the
'Star Wars' universe to the next generation of fans, and provide those already
familiar with the power of the Force new ways to connect with this legendary
franchise."

Walesonline.com:
"Return
of the Jedi" actor Warwick Davis says he'd love a role in "Episode VII." Of
course, that kind of goes without saying. Everybody
would love a role in "Episode VII." But Davis isn't just anybody. He has a
"Star Wars" pedigree, as the actor behind the Ewok character Wicket in "Star
Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi." Talking to Walesonline, he said: "I don't
think there's a chance the Ewoks will return, as this film is 30 years beyond
that story. But that said, the 'Star Wars' galaxy is full of all sorts of
unusual characters so you never know there might be something for me." Still,
he's not exactly waiting for a call from "Episode VII" director J.J. Abrams: "I
hugely enjoy creating those sorts of characters anyway. I've dropped enough
hints over the years. If there was something I'm pretty sure they would come
calling," he said.

AMNY.com: How
to celebrate "Star Wars" Day. To be honest, if you need help thinking of
ways to mark the day, you're probably not really a fan -- or at least not a
die-hard. Still, this list offers a pretty cool collection of "Star Wars"
stuff. It's up to you to decide whether you want to wait until May 4 to do
them.

NOLA.com: The
new "Episode VII" cast: Who the heck are these guys anyway? When Abrams
earlier this week announced his new cast, more than a few people were at a loss
as to who exactly these mostly up-and-coming actors are. In a blog post earlier
this week, I laid out who is who. In addition, you can check out the gallery
below to put names to the faces.